A Week of Freezerburn
by NameForsaken
Summary: Each new "chapter" is an original Freezerburn one-shot based off of the prompts of Freezerburn Week!
1. Getting Through the Night

**Summary: Weiss and Yang spend the night in Raven's camp. Based on events in Volume 5, Chapter 4: "Lighting the Fire"**

* * *

Everything had happened just so fast. Yang was still trying to wrap her mind around her current situation later that evening as she stood by the tent's entrance. Raven had given Yang and Weiss a tent to share for the night, hoping the space would provide them enough room and time to process her revelation and come up with an answer to whether or not they would be staying with Raven and her tribe.

Yang still wasn't sure if she trusted her mother. On one hand, her story seemed to make a lot of sense, but on the other, Raven was still a thief, her people _murderers_ , and she had still left Yang to grow up without ever truly knowing her. So Ozpin's war strategies weren't exactly… _conventional_ … Yes, he had led many, _many_ innocent people to their deaths all because of something he had started centuries ago — _man, it was still weird thinking about that_ — but at the same time, those people had inevitably chosen their fates the day they signed up to become Huntsmen and Huntresses.

But Yang didn't want Ruby to be a part of that. Now, more than ever, she just wanted to find her sister, to bring her home and just have all of this be over. But it wouldn't be that easy — Ruby was already with Qrow, Jaune, Nora, and Ren, and the five of them already had their hearts set on following Ozpin. Whether she believed Raven or not, Yang couldn't deny one thing: Ruby was in severe danger.

"Yang?"

The brawler snapped out of her thoughts and turned to face Weiss, who had just finished getting ready for bed and was now climbing into her cot. Her hair was down and neatly-brushed, now, and she was wearing a temporary tee and shorts that she'd borrowed from one of the Bandits while Raven washed and stitched up her dress. Her wounds had mostly healed, but Yang still couldn't help but frown when she saw the girl flinch, knowing that her own mother had been the source of some of those injuries.

"It's getting late," the former heiress commiserated. "You should try to get some sleep."

Yang offered her a small smile, but let it fall as soon as she turned away again. "I will soon. I just want to make sure this tent is secure."

That was a lie. What Yang hadn't yet told Weiss was that she had been suffering nightmares and panic attacks ever since the fall of Beacon, and she was afraid that if she went to sleep now, she'd only wake her friend when the nightmares returned. She still didn't know how to talk to Weiss about everything that had happened since they'd been separated. Even after all of the training and support from her father, Yang was still scared. She was still hurting. And she still wasn't used to this damn prosthetic arm.

Weiss had enough on her plate already. She didn't need Yang keeping her up when it seemed Weiss needed the sleep so much more.

"To be honest, I'm not sure I'll get much sleep."

Yang furrowed her eyebrows, glancing over her shoulder at the forlorn-looking princess. She finally took a step away from the tent's entrance, and toward the empty cot that stood beside Weiss's. "Why's that?"

The smaller girl sighed. "I haven't slept through an entire night since the fall of Beacon. How could anyone after what happened?"

 _Yeah…_ Yang sat down on the edge of her cot and faced Weiss, watching in concern as her friend seemed to shrink in on herself. "You never did tell me… what happened after the fall. You said you're not the heiress anymore, but you never elaborated…"

Weiss looked up at Yang with a pained expression, her bottom eyelids twitching in a clear attempt to hold back tears. "When I was brought back home, things were… _difficult_ ," she whispered, her voice thin and fragile, much like her current state. "For a while, I stayed cooped up in my room, not really wanting to talk to anyone… My family isn't exactly known for their hospitality."

She turned her gaze back toward her drawn knees, pulling the fleece tighter to her chest. "I knew my father would eventually want to talk, but I wasn't sure what to expect when he finally did… He told me he wanted to hold a charity concert for Beacon, and that he expected me to sing. I accepted because I knew I didn't really have a choice. Plus, it was for a good cause… or so I _thought_ …"

Yang leaned back on her cot as she listened, hiding her hands behind her back as her left began to involuntarily shake. She didn't know why it was happening now, but she didn't need the focus — this was Weiss's turn to speak.

"After the concert, some of the guests were saying horrible things about the Faunus… you can probably guess what… so I walked away, tried to get my bearings. Then this… this _jerk_ started harassing me, asking a million questions about the charity, as if he didn't have the faintest idea about what happened to Beacon. I got rid of him, but he wasn't even the worst of it… I overheard this woman bad-mouthing Vale, saying it was about time the kingdom collapsed, as if all those people living there, their lives didn't matter! And that's when everything went South…"

"The nerve," Yang muttered under her breath, her eyes now narrowed as she continued to listen, wishing she had been there to personally deliver those people a swift punch to the face…

"That's exactly what I was feeling," Weiss admitted. "And that was the _last_ straw. I called her out on it, told her, told them _all_ to get their priorities straight. My father tried to silence me, but I drew back, accidentally summoned a Grimm… I would've _killed_ her, Yang! I didn't mean to, but if Ironwood hadn't been there to stop it, I would've killed her…"

Yang finally straightened up again, the tremors in her left hand coming to a stop, and she reached forward with her right, laying it gently on the edge of Weiss's bed. "It wasn't your fault…"

Weiss closed her eyes, her head shaking. "It was, though…" When she opened them again, she didn't even try to hide the tears this time. "After that, my father and I got into an argument… I told him I wanted to leave, that I didn't want to stay in Atlas anymore, and he started going on this rant about 'upholding the family name'. It only escalated from there, and he slapped me… It was the first time he ever got truly physical…"

"Weiss…"

She sniffled, bringing a clenched hand to her cheek to wipe away a fresh stream of tears. "He told me I was not allowed to leave. Not Atlas, not the house… not until I started abiding by _his_ rules. He revoked my status as heiress, gave it to my _stupid_ little brother… I decided there was nothing left to do but get out of there, as soon as I possibly could… I _refused_ to be his prisoner…"

Yang sucked in a deep breath, holding back her own anger toward Weiss's father as she listened to her recount the horrific experience. She wished she would've been there… she wished she would've been able to protect Weiss… It wasn't right; nothing about her situation was right. She had no idea just how bad Weiss had had it until now. Why hadn't she paid more attention?

"So I practiced my summoning until it was perfect… or as perfect as it could be under the circumstances… and I did it! My butler helped me escape, and I paid some cargo pilot to take me to Mistral so I could track down Winter." Weiss let out a small huff. "He was actually cool… The first person besides my butler to treat me like an actual _person_ since I returned to Atlas… But we ran into some trouble with some Lancers, and got shipwrecked here. I don't know what happened to him, but your mom found me, and, well, that's how I ended up here…"

Yang let out a quiet hum. "So you went from one prison to another…"

Weiss glanced up at her. "Yeah, being in that cage really sucked, but it wasn't nearly as bad as being in Atlas… I was actually waiting for the perfect moment to make my escape, and then you showed up."

The blonde smirked. "Well, I'm glad I could help."

Her friend exhaled shakily, sniffling once more as she tried her best to give Yang a smile. "So, yeah, I haven't exactly had a good night since…"

"I don't blame you." Yang sighed, lowering her gaze to her hands as she wrestled with her emotions. One part of her really wanted to open up to Weiss. It was only fair after everything the former heiress had just shared with her. But the other part was still afraid, still hesitant, still worried that if she gave that little piece of her to Weiss, she'd lose her just as quickly as she'd lost Blake. It seemed lately that every time Yang got truly close to someone, the world would find a way to cruelly rip that person away…

"Y-yang?" Weiss's voice was timid, seemingly filled with even more nervousness than before.

She looked back up at her friend, meeting scared, desperate eyes. If looks could kill, then Weiss's broken expression surely felt like an arrow through the heart. All Yang wanted to do was go back in time to erase all of the bad things in Weiss's life, in her _own_ life, to stop the attack on Beacon from ever happening. Maybe then Team RWBY would still be together… Maybe then, all four of them would still be okay…

"If you're going to stay up, c-could you sit with me? Just until I fall asleep?"

Suddenly, warmth flowed back into Yang's cheeks, into her whole body as she took in Weiss's words. This was a request Yang could definitely do, something that would benefit them both. She nodded, smiling as she moved over from her cot onto Weiss's, carefully shifting her weight onto the very edge of the bed while Weiss settled down into her pillow.

The smaller girl let out a short yawn, and smiled tiredly up at Yang. "I know the circumstances aren't the greatest right now, but I'm glad we're together again."

Yang lifted a hand to Weiss's forehead, and gently brushed back a few of her bangs. "So am I, Weiss."

 _You're in good hands, I promise._

She wasn't sure when exactly she had fallen asleep. She didn't even know for how long when the sounds of frantic shifting woke her from her slumber. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the tent before she remembered where she was, and it took a moment longer to realize that the sudden movements were coming from the girl directly beside her.

Yang seemed to be mumbling something in her sleep as her right hand continued to flinch, her fingers clenching and unclenching around the blanket that covered Weiss. Just as Weiss was about to lift a hand to wake her, the blonde rolled away from her, and directly onto the floor.

Weiss immediately threw her blanket aside as she lunged to the edge of the bed, peering down at her panicked teammate as she woke up with a start, glancing around the tent in horror. When she finally noticed Weiss, her eyes widened in recognition, her mouth hanging open with unspoken regret.

"I-I…" She stood up, starting to move away, but Weiss moved quicker, catching the blonde by her wrist.

"No, wait!" Weiss pulled Yang back down to her cot, moving over to give her friend room, but not daring to let go of her. "It's okay… You don't have to leave…"

Yang sighed, bringing her free hand to her tired eyes. "I'm sorry I woke you… You were sleeping so soundly, too…"

Weiss shook her head. "You don't have to apologize." She glanced down at the hand that was still gripping Yang's wrist, frowning as she loosened her fingers, and moved them down to intertwine with Yang's. "Does this happen a lot?"

"I…" Yang sucked in her bottom lip, a contemplative look on her face. She let out another sigh, this one heavier, more resigned. "Yeah…"

The former heiress swallowed. She wasn't exactly sure how to comfort Yang, not used to being in a position like this. But she wanted her friend to know that she was there, that she was listening, and that she wasn't going to go away. She guessed she knew what the nightmare was about, but she couldn't help Yang if she opted to stay silent. "Was it… was it the guy who took your arm?"

Yang visibly tensed. Her fingers tightened around Weiss's for a moment before she realized they were still intertwined, and she turned to Weiss with a guarded look. "Adam."

Weiss furrowed her eyebrows. "Did you know him?"

"No. I saw his name on the news." She glanced down at her free hand—the cybernetic one, and clenched her fist, raising it to eye level. "I still see him every time I close my eyes… that menacing grin, that _blade_ … Sometimes, I can still feel the pain, like it's ingrained into my aura... I have this new arm, now, but it doesn't even begin to make up for what I lost…"

"I'm sorry…"

Yang frowned. "For what? It was my own recklessness that cost me my arm."

Weiss let out a sympathetic hum. "Maybe. But I still can't imagine how much it hurt… how much it still does…"

"Yeah…" Yang lowered her arm back to the cot, and turned back to Weiss. "I'm sorry."

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "For what?"

The blonde closed her eyes. "I'm not the same person I used to be. When… when _he_ broke me, I… Well, I haven't exactly been able to pick up the pieces, let alone find them all… I don't know if I'm going to be the same again."

Weiss nodded. "Maybe not. But I'm not the same, either… Is that really so bad?"

Yang chuckled, opening her eyes to glance at Weiss. "You? No, I guess not. I like this new you."

"Good," she answered, finding a smile. She gave Yang's hand a gentle squeeze. "And whoever this new Yang turns out to be once you've figured all of this stuff out, I'm sure I'm going to like her, too. In fact, I already do."

"How could you?" Yang asked, her fraction of a smile quickly dissipating. "I've been nothing but guarded since we've reunited."

Weiss clicked her tongue softly. "You may think that, but I distinctly remember you returning that hug. You weren't guarded in that moment, and you're not guarded now. And even if you were, that's okay. You have every right to be. We're in a strange place with some not-so-nice people, and we've got a long journey ahead of us."

Yang bit her lip. "What are we going to do, Weiss? About Ozpin, I mean?"

She frowned. If she was being quite honest, she hadn't actually thought much about Raven's revelation since they'd left her tent. She wasn't even sure she believed the woman; after all, she _did_ kidnap her and try to ransom her back to her father… If Raven was truly a good person, if she was truly taking the path she saw was right, then why did she act in such shady ways, involve herself with such dirty people? Weiss had already decided that she was going to do whatever Yang wanted to, and she had a feeling that Yang would go after Ruby regardless of what she believed to be true. She didn't stop to think about what they were going to say or do once they got there, though.

"We're going to rescue Ruby, right?" Yang continued. "I can't just let her walk into a war… I can't lose her, too, Weiss…"

Weiss shook her head. "No, we're going to get her back. I promise." She blinked a couple of times, exhaustion beginning to catch up to her. She leaned her head against Yang's shoulder, both for support and for comfort. "The rest we'll figure out when we get there."

Yang glanced down at her with gentle eyes. "You should probably go back to sleep."

The smaller girl stifled a yawn. "Not if you're not going to."

"Weiss, you're already falling asleep on me."

She closed her eyes, a tired smile stretching across her lips. "It's almost morning, anyway. If you want me to, I'll stay up."

"I think this new Weiss might be a little crazier than the old one."

At that, she opened her eyes, immediately narrowing them in offense. "Hey! I _am not_ crazy!"

Yang laughed. "I think I vividly remember a time when you jumped on top of a chair just to make a point to—" Her smile immediately fell, as did her posture, and it only took a second for Weiss to figure out why.

"Have you… Have you heard from her?"

"No… Have you?"

"No." Weiss frowned. "I wonder if she's okay…"

"Me, too…" Yang stared off into the distance for a while, not speaking again as her lilac eyes wandered around the tent. Weiss laid her head back on Yang, her heart sinking as she wondered, worried about the fate of their friend. Yang had never outwardly admitted it, but Weiss could always tell that she saw something deeper in Blake that surpassed friendship. She knew Yang had confided in Blake in ways she hadn't confided in anyone, not even Ruby or Weiss herself. The blonde had literally thrown herself in front of a blade for her, and look where that landed her… Weiss knew Yang didn't want to talk about it, so she didn't bother to press any further.

Instead, they sat there, their eyes growing tired as they watched the darkness slowly fade into light, warmth creeping through the cracks of the tent as the sun began to rise, giving way to day.

Weiss wasn't sure how long they'd been sitting there when the flap to their tent that served as a makeshift door finally opened, and a dark-haired woman with fierce red eyes poked her head inside. Upon seeing the two awake, her eyes immediately widened, her lips set into a frown that looked a lot to Weiss like regret.

"You didn't sleep?" the woman asked, her attention moving to Yang, who immediately stiffened at her mother's voice.

"Do you care?" she asked bitingly, her eyes downcast, seemingly avoiding Raven's gaze.

Raven sighed, not in annoyance, Weiss noticed, but in resignation. Something about her body language told Weiss that the woman _did_ care, much to Yang's disbelief, and while this was neither the time nor place to bring it up, Weiss couldn't help but at least feel a little grateful that she hadn't yet completely given up on her child, estranged as they were.

Yang shifted, gently nudging Weiss with a tired smile. "We should probably think about getting up."

Weiss just nodded, pushing herself up to support her own weight. She turned her gaze toward Raven. "Thank you for letting us stay here."

The older woman stood awkwardly, raising a hand to her hilt in what seemed to be an act of emotional defense. "It was the least I could do." She cleared her throat, and straightened her back. "I have your clothes finished for you. You can pick them up in my tent, and then we can discuss where you two wish to go." With that, she turned around and left, allowing Weiss and Yang their space once more.

"Weiss," Yang said almost as soon as Raven had gone.

She glanced up at her teammate with weary, questioning eyes.

"We're going after Ruby," she continued, but Weiss sensed there was more to Yang's statement than just that. "But I'd like to stay another day. I have some more questions, and I think you and I could really use the rest."

Weiss didn't even argue. As much as she wanted to get away from this camp, she had already promised herself that she'd do whatever Yang decided, and she couldn't deny that she needed a little more rest. She still had a lot to process about her situation, and being thrown through a portal right into the midst of all was not something she could do on just a few hours of sleep. "Okay."

Yang, however, seemed surprised by the simple answer, her brow raising as she turned to face Weiss. "So you don't have any objections?"

The smaller girl shrugged. "Honestly, Yang, all of my plans up to this point have already been tarnished, so I'm willing to do whatever you want."

Her teammate hummed. "Oh. Okay, then."

Weiss smiled, and reached out for Yang's hand. It seemed like that was her go-to maneuver, now. "And Yang?"

"Yeah?"

She gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Let's actually try to sleep tonight. I promise you'll be alright."

Yang blinked, taking a moment to process Weiss's words. She glanced down at their hands, and after a moment, squeezed back. "Okay."

Weiss removed her hand and pushed herself to her feet, stretching her arms over her head as she stifled a yawn. She turned back to Yang with a tired, but confident smile. "Well, we should go. Wouldn't want to keep your mother waiting."


	2. Family

**Summary: Yang thinks about introducing Weiss to her father.**

 **Freezerburn Week Prompt, Day 2.**

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Yang laid awake in the grass, the light from the sun's rays shining down and radiating with warmth. She had one leg crossed over the other, her arms behind her head as she watched the clouds float by, her mind wandering as she thought back to the day before.

She and Weiss had been dating for two months, now. Winter Schnee, Weiss's older sister, had come to Beacon for the weekend for a scheduled perimeter check with General Ironwood, and she had stopped by Team RWBY's dorm before she left to say goodbye to Weiss. She and Yang had been cuddling in Weiss's bed, watching a movie on Yang's Scroll when Blake answered the door. To say Winter was surprised when she saw the couple was an understatement.

Weiss had shot straight up in bed, tossing Yang's Scroll away, much to the blonde's annoyance. Winter had stood frozen in the doorway for almost a whole minute, her brows almost as high her hairline, her mouth hanging open as she processed the scenario before her. The room was almost eerily silent, no one making a sound until Winter finally let out an exasperated sigh, and stepped into the room.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm heading out soon," the older Schnee said to Weiss, her gaze solely focused on the heiress.

Yang could hear Weiss swallow beside her, her girlfriend refusing to meet her sister's gaze as she finally found her voice. "I can explain."

Winter finally glanced over at Yang, causing the blonde to shrink under her scrutinizing gaze. "No need," she answered, her voice surprisingly mellow as she turned back to Weiss. "I didn't like that blue-haired boy, anyway."

Yang couldn't help but grunt at that. Weiss's interest in Neptune had lasted just about as long as Ruby's interest in ballet when she was a little girl — it was already over before it even began.

When the older woman turned her attention back to Yang, her lips settled into a smile. "Just take good care of my sister."

"I will," Yang answered quickly, finally sitting up. She turned to her girlfriend with a relieved smile, and Weiss returned it with ease.

"Now get over here," Winter told Weiss, her arms opening wide.

Weiss sprang to her feet, stumbling over a discarded book on the floor as she made her way over to her sister. "Thank you, Winter," she cried gleefully as she stepped into the taller woman's embrace.

Winter grinned, pulling her tight. "Keep in touch, okay?" She broke the hug and lifted a hand to Weiss's shoulder. "I have to go, now."

The duo exchanged one last hug before Winter left the dorm, and Weiss crawled back into bed with Yang. The rest of their day went by just as simply and contently, Weiss and Yang enjoying the rest of their movie before they headed to dinner with Blake, meeting up with Ruby, who had a little too much fun teasing the happy couple.

It hadn't occurred to Yang until the following morning that she had yet to tell her dad about her relationship with Weiss. She and Ruby had had countless conversations with their father in the past couple of months, but never had Yang thought to mention to him that she had a new girlfriend. Weiss was incredibly important to her, and Yang made a regular habit of showing her off proudly around Beacon and around Vale during their weekly trips into town. But Yang wanted more than that, now. She wanted Weiss to meet her dad, to become a part of her family.

"There you are."

Yang smiled at the familiar voice, tuning out her thoughts as she glanced up at the ivory-haired angel standing over her. She reached a hand out to Weiss, pulling the girl down on top of her. "Hey, gorgeous."

Weiss slid her hands beneath the collar of Yang's jacket, resting them on her shoulders and tapping her fingers gently against the brawler's warm skin. "You looked like you were deep in thought."

"I was," Yang admitted, raising her hands to the smaller girl's hips. She lifted her head just a few inches from the grass, her lilac eyes steady and serious as they focused on Weiss's baby blues. "I was thinking you should come with me the next time I go to Patch."

Her girlfriend's eyes widened. "Oh?"

Yang nodded. "I want you to meet my dad. You're special to me, Weiss, and I want him to know that." She laid her head back down, shifting her gaze to a lone patch of dirt where a mole had dug a hole in the ground just a few feet away. "I mean, if you want to…"

Weiss removed her hands from Yang's shoulders, moving them up to cup her cheeks. She directed the blonde's gaze back to her own where Yang found eyes just as loving and gentle as ever, accented by a warm blush that tinged the girl's usually pale cheeks with just the lightest shade of pink. Weiss leaned down and pressed her lips to Yang's, the kiss so soft, Yang could still feel that delightfully familiar tickle on her lips as she pulled away.

"I take that as a yes?" she asked with a teasing smirk.

Weiss simply smiled. "I would love nothing more."


	3. Guarding Her Heart

**Summary: Yang struggles to finally let go of all of her pain.**

 **Freezerburn Week Prompt, Day 3.**

* * *

It still _hurt_. Hurt even more than the time she'd lost it, than the blade that she'd seen in her nightmares every single night without fail. At least she had been unconscious through most of it back then; _this_ time, she had been wide awake. She had been fully aware, and fully on-edge when that sudden jolt wracked throughout her entire body, sending every nerve screaming in pain just from that single blow.

It was just supposed to be a routine practice. Yang had spent days, _weeks_ training with her father, learning how to keep her calm, to control her Semblance, to only use her weapons when she truly needed it. She had learned how to be more defensive, more in control of her emotions, and the training had certainly helped. She'd thought that when she'd first left for Mistral, that she was ready for anything. Ready to face her mother, ready to challenge her contorted views, and even ready to face her old teammates, her _friends_ again after everything that had happened. But _nothing_ would have prepared her for the shock of her life.

When Yang and Weiss had finally reunited with Ruby, Qrow, and the rest of JNR, Ozpin — or, rather, a little boy named Oscar who had somehow been merged with Ozpin — had wasted no time in getting the duo up to top shape again in preparation to take on Salem and her minions. Yang had already taken on every last one of their traveling companions when she was finally paired with the girl who fought closest to her heavy-hitting style — Nora.

At first, it was simple. She and Nora had sparred plenty of times in the past, and Yang had learned all of the ins and outs of the girl's attacks. She knew when to dodge, when to weave, when to expect her energetic opponent to bring out the grenades. But Yang had made a grave mistake; she'd decided to try something new, something _different_.

Before the match had even begun, Yang had pulled Weiss aside and asked for a Dust upgrade for Ember Celica. Dust Mastery had been the one thing Yang had yet to perfect in combat, and she wanted to try out some of the Dust-mandatory functions in her cybernetic arm. Weiss was limited on her Dust collection, however, after having been cut off by her father and losing an entire shipment of Schnee Company cargo when the airship she'd been taking refuge on came crashing down just a few miles from the Branwen Tribe Bandit Camp. Instead of denying Yang her inventory, she decided to compromise, allowing Yang to use two vials of the Dust types she'd used the least — Wind and Lightning.

Yang had already expended most of her Wind Dust by the time she and Nora had each other's Auras down to half. She was beginning to feel frustrated, knowing she somehow had to get Nora's Aura down a little further if she was going to risk depleting her own Aura enough to activate her Semblance. The brawler had retreated to the opposite end of the makeshift arena so she could buy herself just enough time to switch out her ammunition. By the time she'd finished locking and loading her weapons, Nora was already on her way back over, her hammer high above her head as she came at Yang, a high-pitched war cry escaping her mouth as she ran, her eyes fierce and determined not to let the blonde win.

A smirk had found its way creeping across Yang's cheek as she braced herself for the impact, electricity already flowing from Ember Celica and her cybernetic arm as she calculated Nora's next move. As soon as the ginger-haired girl noticed, her expression took one of victory, her war cry morphing into maniacal laughter. And then Yang remembered.

She barely had time to process the smaller girl's movements when the realization hit her, and suddenly, Yang found herself frozen, unable to act. Nora's hammer came down, and all Yang could do was block, the collision causing the electricity from Yang's weapons to build up until it exploded, shooting itself back up the cybernetic arm and causing it to short-circuit, sending what felt like a thousand jolts of electricity through the brawler's now-vulnerable body.

It took a moment for Yang to realize what was happening. It had been so long since she'd felt any _real_ pain on that side of her body, that she almost didn't recognize it at first. But when it finally hit, when her mind finally caught up with her nerves, every joint, every muscle in her body suddenly collapsed. She fell to the dirt, screaming in pain as she reached for her right arm, twisting it until it came off.

The rest of what happened after that was a blur. She remembered seeing Nora tossing her weapon aside, dropping to her knees beside Yang, but not a single word registered in her mind as the pain seemed to consume, to block out all of her other senses. Someone — she wasn't sure who — had picked her up and carried her inside, and Yang had been lying in bed ever since.

She was alone, now, the rest of her traveling companions having given her the space to rest, but sleep was the last thing her body seemed to want to do. She was tired, _oh, she was tired,_ but even more than that, she was pissed. Pissed that she had let down her guard, that she had _forgotten_ about Nora's Semblance. Pissed at how vulnerable she'd been in front of all those people, _Ruby_ especially, who had been watching from the other side of the fence. Pissed that she had wasted a perfectly good supplement of Dust, and pissed that she had now ruined the arm that Ironwood had had made especially for her.

 _I'm such an idiot_. Those same four words echoed through her head on repeat, her eyes stinging with tears as she laid on her side, staring down at the stump where her cybernetic arm had been previously attached. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape the horrible reality that _this_ was what her life was going to be like from now on. This wasn't going to be the last malfunction. She wasn't even sure if this was going to be the last _amputation_. Being a Huntress was dangerous, and there was always a risk of something going wrong. General Ironwood himself had lost _half_ his body in his line of work, and Yang was sure she was going to see her friends and allies suffer just as many painful injuries and losses throughout their careers.

Yang wasn't sure how long she'd been laying there for when she heard the door to her room squeaking open. Rather than turning to see who it was, however, Yang just moved her gaze to the window on the other side of the room, the dim moonlight providing just enough luminescence to make out the outlines of the other furniture and objects around her.

Quiet footsteps sounded across the wooden floorboards as they stepped around Yang's bed, a figure finally coming into Yang's view. The blonde quickly closed her eyes as the figure stopped just in front of her. Her breath quickened as the figure's presence came closer, leaning down until she felt the softest of fingertips swipe at her bangs. Then, her breath caught as something else just as soft, just as sweet, pressed against her forehead.

"Feel better," a small voice whispered in her ear, calm, yet concerned. The presence disappeared, the footsteps starting again as they crossed to the other side of the room, and came to another stop several feet away. The mattress to the other bed in the room creaked as the figure sat down, and Yang finally opened her eyes to find cool, baby blue irises staring right back.

Yang's eyes widened as the girl sitting across from her just shook her head with a warm smile.

"I figured you were awake."

She sighed, having been caught, and turned her gaze back to the empty space on her bed where the rest of her arm should've been. "Weiss, I…"

"You don't have to talk," the former heiress said, her voice so full of love and concern for her teammate. "I just… I know it's been hard for you. I wanted you to know… to know that I'm here. That you don't have to go through this alone."

Yang bit her lip, tears forming in her eyes once more as she processed the other girl's words. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when she realized she didn't have anything to say. What _could_ she say? It was clear to everyone there that Yang still wasn't the same person she had been back at Beacon. That she was still struggling, still afraid of that—that _fake limb_. It would never be real. It would never replace the one she'd lost. And while she could customize it all she wanted, she would _never_ feel as strongly about losing it than the original. There would _always_ be more where that piece of metal came from.

Weiss stood up, and walked over to the dresser across from her bed. She pulled out a change of night clothes that Ruby had lent her, and held them close to her chest as she turned back to face Yang. "Ruby's fixing your arm for you, by the way. She's trying to rewire the circuits so it won't shock you again. Your uncle and Ozpin are helping, too, of course."

The blonde curled into herself, pulling her blanket up over her stump so Weiss couldn't look. Not that she _was_ , but just the mention of her lack of an arm still made Yang feel self-conscious, like it would forever remain the Goliath in the room so long as it was on display. She turned her back to Weiss, blinking away tears as she listened to the sounds of shuffling clothes behind her.

"Good night," Weiss said when she'd finished changing, and had moved back to her bed.

Yang swallowed. Something about those words, about the idea of Weiss going to sleep right now, made her heart ache even more than it already was. Even though Weiss was still in the room with her, Yang felt as though they were on completely separate islands. She didn't want Weiss to fall asleep without her. She didn't want to be left behind, forced to face the night alone as she continued to cry and wallow… She just… She wanted Weiss's promise to be true, tangible enough to touch, to _feel_.

"Weiss?"

"Mm?"

She let out a deep, shaky breath, sniffling as she wiped away the remainder of her tears with the back of her hand. She turned back to Weiss, her heart pounding, her lilac eyes desperate. "Could you… could you come here?"

Her friend smiled, wordlessly pushing her covers away and climbing out of bed. She crossed the room to Yang's bed, lifting the blanket, not even seeming to notice the brawler's stump as she gently crawled in beside her.

Yang met Weiss with a wavering smile, unable to describe just how truly grateful she felt for the other girl's presence. She tried to thank her, but again, when she opened her mouth, no words came out, and instead she found tears blurring her vision once more.

Weiss furrowed her eyebrows, lifting a hand to the side of Yang's cheek. "It's okay," she murmured, swiping her thumb at the corner of Yang's eye where a tear broke free. "It's okay…"

She closed her eyes, willing the tears to stop, but they just kept coming. Her breath hitched, becoming more and more shallow with each frantic inhale, and the harder she tried to stay composed, the faster she seemed to fall apart.

It hurt. _Everything_ hurt. Every fear, every painful memory, every loss she'd suffered seemed to want to surface, bubbling up until she couldn't hold it back anymore. _Why now?_ she thought as she gritted her teeth, trying desperately to keep it all locked up. She'd already gotten through some of the hardest parts of her recovery. She'd accepted her amputation — or at least she'd thought she had until now. She'd faced her mother, finally confronted her and managed to gain a little bit of understanding in the process. She'd found Ruby, and she'd done pretty well holding herself together again until today. _Why is this still happening? Why does it still hurt so much?_

"Let it out," Weiss coaxed her quietly, pressing her forehead to Yang's. "It's okay to let it out…"

 _But it was so damn hard._ Yang was shaking, now. Not just her left hand, which had been experiencing tremors for a while, now, but _everything_ was shaking. It was like her body was telling her to let it all out, too, tired of holding all of the pain inside. She didn't want to feel like this anymore. She _needed_ to be free.

So, finally, she let go.

When the first sob escaped, it was loud and sharp, and it scared Yang at first. But then she felt herself being pulled in, small, but surprisingly strong arms surrounding her body and filling her with warmth and protection. Then another came, and another, and _another_ , each one accompanied by a soft, soothing voice in her ear, reminding her again and again that she was safe. And she _did_ feel safe; for the first time in almost a year, Yang truly felt safe, right here, crumpled up in the arms of one of the strongest, most caring people she knew.

It was going to be okay. She didn't know when, she didn't know how, but somehow, even in the midst of all of her pain and heartache, she knew it was going to be okay.


End file.
